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SHIFT OUT OF LUCK RUBY DIXON

CONTENTS SHIFT OUT OF LUCK Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 AUTHOR’S NOTE DOES A BEAR SHIFT IN THE WOODS GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER SHIFT OUT OF LUCK SHIFT JUST GOT REAL ICE PLANET BARBARIANS (Georgie’s Story) BARBARIAN ALIEN (Liz’s Story) BARBARIAN LOVER (Kira’s Story) RIDING RED by ALEXA RILEY

BEAUTY SLEEPS by ALEXA RILEY WANT MORE? Also by Ruby Dixon SHIFT OUT OF LUCK There are few things that are off limits to the were-bears of Pine Falls, but humans are one of them.

Which is a real pain, because I’ve had it bad for curvy Adelaide Laurent ever since she sashayed into town. The fact that she’s forbidden fruit just makes my fantasies all the sweeter.

But when she signs up to go on a weekend camping trip with the town’s biggest player, it’s time for a bear to step in and claim his mate.

I don’t care if it breaks the rules. She’s mine, and it’s time she knew it.

1 Cole “You ever going to do anything about that or just stand here and howl at the moon like a dumbass wolf?”

Leo Prufuchs doesn’t need a reply so I don’t bother giving him one. That requires me diverting my attention away from the lush figure across the street, making her way into her shop to start the day.

Some bears drink coffee in the morning. Some do shots of Red Bull to wake them up. Me? I stand just inside my trading post and watch Adelaide Laurent climb out of her shoebox of a car and unlock the door to her spa— the one the locals said wouldn’t last a month. Yet three years later, she’s still here.

Still thriving. Still making my balls bluer than the Boundary Waters.

Beside me, Leo shakes his head in dismay. “You’re a disgrace to the clan, boy.” He claps me on the shoulder, and the blow is hard enough that it rattles my teeth.

If he’d done the same to a human, bones would be broken, which is exactly why I’ve been standing in my store every morning for the last three years watching Adelaide, instead of bringing her to work after we’d had a good early-morning love-making session.

Adelaide’s a curvy girl with plenty of meat on her bones, but she’s still a human and way too frail for a beast like me. Even in my unshifted human form, I’m about twice her size. I’m big all over, and there are very few human women who’ve ever been able to take me comfortably. Adelaide’s just not one of them.

The problem is that I can’t get hard for anyone but her. Since she swayed that sweet ass of hers into the town meeting three years ago announcing her development plans, my dick only rises to full attention when she’s around.

At first, it was just healthy masculine appreciation. She looks like a fifties pinup model with her red lips and blonde hair with its big curls. My mouth waters just thinking about what one of her fat nipples would taste like.

From head to toe, she’s a hot package.

Any red-blooded bear would get excited when she waltzed by. But as time wore on, my appreciation turned to lust, which has turned into an obsession.

And now, no one interests me but her, which is too damned bad.

The door to the spa slams shut behind her, and I finally turn away.

“I’m worried about you, brother.” Leo follows me to the checkout counter, and watches over the top of his coffee mug while I double check the starting cash in the register drawer. “Have you gotten laid at all this past month?

Those girls over in Vancouver were all over you last weekend, but we might as well have been at a little league tournament for all the excitement you were showing.”

“They were jailbait,” I reply abruptly.

“Sixteen is the age of consent,” Leo argues. “Besides, they were at least eighteen, and I slept with two of them so they were the equivalent of one cougar.”

“You’re twenty-eight,” I reply dryly. “I don’t think sleeping with eighteenyear olds, even two of them, makes the girls cougars.”

“They howled and scratched the shit out of me, so they acted like some kind of animals.” He reaches one massive hand over his shoulder to rub his phantom scratches. Leo acts more like a cub than the fully matured bear he is. “And bonus, they both walked away in one piece the next morning.

True, they were walking funny because I’m so thoroughly amazing in bed, but the only thing they were worried about was when I was coming back to town.”

“Those females were part of the Vancouver South clan,” I remind him.

“They were not human.”

“You gotta put that shit with Lowery out of your mind. That was an anomaly. There’ve been plenty of human and bear matings.”

“Name one,” I challenge.

Leo opens his mouth and closes it. Then tries again. Finally, he says, “There’s Grace and Scott Barnes.”

“Scott’s the human, not Grace. I’m not getting in bed with a human, no matter how beautiful she is.”

Leo tugs on his ear, and then drains his coffee. “If you can live with her shacking up with another guy, then by all means, just stare out the window.”

I slam the drawer shut harder than necessary and the resulting clang makes Leo jump.

“Guess that answers that,” he mutters.

It’s a good thing the cash register is made out of industrial steel. Otherwise, I’d have broken it.

The thought of another man between Adelaide’s plump thighs makes me want to rip the machine off the wooden counter and drive it through Leo’s shaggy blond head. I remove my hands from the heavy metal register, and take a couple of deep breaths. “Don’t you have somewhere to go?” I ask as evenly as possible. Leo’s my cousin, and I know my mom would take issue if I dragged his ass home, bloodied and maimed.

“Not really.” He wanders into the back room to deposit the coffee mug.

“I’m helping out Eli with a new corporate tour group this week, but I won’t be required to go over until tonight.”

I run a finger down the list of incoming tourists. There are three groups arriving today. In the winter, Pine Falls, Minnesota, serves up dog sledding, cross-country skiing, winter hiking, and visits to the brown bear and wolf rescue centers. In the summer, we have a non-stop flood of outdoor enthusiasts who canoe and kayak on the glass-clear lakes of the Boundary Waters.

Eli’s is not the only corporate camping retreat in the town, but it’s the best because his guides know the backwoods better than anyone, unlike Pat Samson who apparently has a tour booked for the next three days.

I shake my head. How that fucker stays in business, I have no idea. He couldn’t lead a group of Pine Falls natives down the main street without someone injuring themselves.

“I see Pat Samson has a group coming in.” I whip my sheet around to show Leo. He frowns. “That guy’s going to kill someone one of these days.”

“Let Eli know. Maybe he can send another guide out to keep watch over the Samson group.”

The bell over the door chimes, letting us know we have a customer. I check my watch. It’s not even eight.

“We’re not open,” I start to call out, but the words stick in my throat when I see who it is.

“I know you’re not open,” Adelaide calls out cheerfully. “But I was hoping you could help me out.”

“Tell her you can help her out of her clothes,” Leo mutters under his breath.

Ignoring Leo, I step into the main room. “Sure. What can I do for you?”

I shove my hands into the pockets of my jeans so I don’t reach out and grab Adelaide. She looks like a fresh peach this morning. Her perfect skin glows like she’s lit from inside.

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and the Boundary Waters is full of beautiful things.

Nature at its finest: pure and untouched wilderness, wild animals, water so clear and clean that you can see to the sandy bottom no matter how deep the pool. But none of it compares to Adelaide.

I eat her up with my eyes—the only action I allow myself. Watching her is fine. Touching her is not.

“You know I hired the Miller girl to help me out on the weekends, right?”

I nod. There’s little about Adelaide I don’t know. She likes strong coffee in the mornings, and doesn’t mind that I prefer tea with lots of honey. She has a good work ethic. Her spa is open six days a week, and up until about six months ago, she was there every day. But she hired Dean Miller’s daughter and has reduced her hours to just five days a week. Mondays are the worst for me because I don’t see Adelaide at all.

“Well, um, I’ve decided to finally go camping. I think I must be the only one in Pine Falls to have not done the camping thing.” She claps her hands together, and the two rings she wears glitter under the lights.

When Adelaide first arrived in town wearing those rings, I thought she was taken, but I learned that they were just pretty things she liked to wear.

I kind of wish she was taken. Maybe I wouldn’t be so goddamned obsessed with her.

“That’s good,” I finally say when I realize she’s waiting for me to respond.

“You going with Francine?”

Francine owns the coffee shop and runs some kind of girl-power business organization in town.

No men allowed. Only women who have a business or are interested in owning a business.

“No. I’m going with Pat Samson.”

“You’re what?” I roar. My Adelaide out with Pat Samson?

Behind me, I hear Leo snorting.

Adelaide blinks at my outburst. “Do you have a problem with Pat Samson or is it just me in general?”

“Why would I have a problem with you?” I growl. “Pat Samson is a shittyass guide. If it was winter, I wouldn’t let you go. He’d kill you out there.”

“You wouldn’t let me?” She puts her hands on her hips, and my eyes drop to the nipped-in waist.

My hands could span that distance easily. “Since when do you decide when and where and with whom I can camp?”

“I’m so glad I came in this morning,” Leo murmurs with glee.

I tear my eyes away from her ample hips and flick upward to see her glaring at me. Even that turns me on. And frankly I don’t care if she’s mad. I’d rather have her mad at me than out with Pat Samson, who uses his camping trips to fuck lonely women while exposing them to a multitude of dangers.

“I wouldn’t let my worst enemy go on a trip with Samson.” I stomp over to the checkout counter and slam my ass down on the stool.

“Dumbass,” Leo coughs into his hand.

“I’m your worst enemy? Is that what you’re saying?” Adelaide’s blue eyes are firing daggers at me.

“What are you talking about, woman? I never said you were my worst enemy.” I fold my arms across my chest and glare back.

“Fine. Whatever.” She throws up her hands. “Are you going to help me get the appropriate gear or not?”

“No. Samson isn’t safe, and I’m not going to help him take you out into the woods where you could be injured or worse.” The thought of her out with Samson makes me sick to my stomach.

She stalks over to the counter and slaps her palms on the polished wood surface. When she leans forward, the fabric around her soft tits gapes and gives me an eyeful of lush flesh. Before I’m able to force myself to look away, the vision of her perfect tits is burned into my brain. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t go and I won’t.”

The animal in me lurks just under the skin, and right now it’s clawing at the surface, wanting out.

It takes everything I’ve got not to toss her right onto the counter, whip her skirt up, and pound into her in front of Leo and any other goddamned person who could walk through the door. “You don’t belong out there,” I say abruptly.

“You’re a jerk, Cole Braxton. A good-looking guy but a real jerk.” She twirls on her dainty foot and stomps out.

When the door shuts behind her, I release a sigh full of relief and regret. I miss her already, but she’s just too much temptation to be around on a regular basis.

“Dude, she wants you. She practically laid herself out on a platter and you turned her down,” Leo says with disgust.

“I’m not going to hurt her.”

“But you’ll let her go with Samson?”

I can’t let that happen either.

2 Adelaide Who does Cole Braxton think he is, anyhow?

I storm back to Pamper Yourself without a single bit of camping equipment, my list crumpled in my fist. So much for finding an excuse to flirt with Cole. I might as well give up. It’s like flirting with a stump. A really pissy stump.

I reenter my spa and grit my teeth as I move behind the counter to flip on the small indoor waterfall next to the front desk. I turn on the Celtic music CD and straighten magazines in the waiting room. It takes a moment before my crappy mood settles down, and even Enya’s soothing harp sounds can’t make my temper go away.

I don’t know why I bother. I’ve been in Pine Falls three years, and my business is thriving even though everyone seems to laugh at me. Everyone here is all about hiking and camping and dog sledding and all kinds of crazy macho outdoor vacation things. Naturally, that struck me as the perfect spot to set up a spa. You know, the ‘mom’ getaway. Dad gets to go hunt bear or track wolves or whatever it is they do. Mom gets pampered at the spa.

Everyone has a happy vacation.

It’s worked out beautifully too. In the off-season, I get just enough business from the locals who want mani-pedi jobs. In the tourist season, I’m booked solid. You’d think that would get me some respect around here from the other business owners.

Nope. Cole, in particular, looks at me as if he wants to squash me like a bug. He always glares disapprovingly. I smooth my hands down my flouncy, flirty skirt. I should give up trying to crack him.

Maybe he doesn’t like blondes. Maybe he only goes for waifs. I’m more on the pleasant side of plump.

But the thought of going after another guy makes me cringe inside. It’s not that there’s not a lot of hot guys around here. The town’s crawling with them, and they’re all ridiculously athletic. There’s something about Cole, though, that drives me crazy. Maybe it’s because his camping supply store is right across from my spa, and I get to see him on the street every day. We run into each other grabbing morning coffees. I send customers his way, and he sends them mine. Every time I turn around, Cole’s there, firing up my libido with his big, brawny arms and that fall of messy dark hair that does ridiculous things to my ovaries.

I mean, if a girl’s going to dream about giving up her virginity, she might as well pick a prime specimen, right?

But after three years of flirting at the local coffee shop, wearing low-cut shirts as I give him the mail that makes its way into my spa’s mailbox, and wearing tight skirts, nothing’s working.

Then, a few days ago, Pat Samson suggested I join his next nature hike crew. It’ll be three days of roughing it in the wild. I thought it’d be a good thing to show Cole that I’m tougher than he thinks I am.

That under my candy-colored lip gloss and pink nails, I’m a tough, capable chick who can handle any testosterone thrown at her. That I’d be good girlfriend potential.

And heck, it was an excuse to go to his store and lean on the counter with my boobs practically hanging out.

What did the man do? Called me an idiot and ran me out.

I officially give up. My crush on Cole is getting me nowhere. Time to throw in the towel and move on. Maybe I’ll meet someone hot while camping.

Maybe I’ll just go home and give my bullet vibe a good round and daydream about Cole.

I pull out my day planner and scan the list of appointments I have today.

When I look up, Leo’s heading across the street to my spa.

I straighten and fluff my hair, just in case Cole sent him over. Then I pretend to be super busy, staring down at my planner and making notes as if things need tweaking.

The door chimes as it opens, and I look up with a smile. “Hey, Leo. What brings you here?”

Leo grins at me, all white teeth and tanned skin. I wish I was attracted to him instead of fixated on grumpy Cole. Leo’s easygoing and friendly. “I think we both know I’m here to apologize for Cole.”

I sniff. “What, he’s not adult enough to put on his big-boy pants and apologize to me in person?”

Leo shrugs. “That’s not it. He just gets a bit…worked up around you.”

Yeah. Worked up like pissed off. How dare I paint my nails in their testosterone-laden resort town? “He’s just a jerk. I go out of my way to be nice to him and he talks to me like I’m stupid.”

Leo shakes his head and sits in one of the pink, girly seats in my waiting room. He picks up a women’s magazine and his brow wrinkles as he gazes at the pictures. “Nah,” he says, not looking up from the mag. “You just hit a nerve with that Pat stuff.”

“What’s wrong with Pat?” “Pat’s a dumbass.”

Really? We were back to this again? “Pat Samson is a very nice man. He told me he saved a spot on his next camping trip just for me.”

“I’ll bet he did,” Leo mutters.

I pull out a tray of nail polishes and begin checking the bottles for dried-up paint. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothin’,” Leo drawls, and flips the magazine sideways, then tosses it aside. “He just don’t like the thought of you camping with Pat.” “Pat offered!”

“And Cole doesn’t like that.”

Exasperated, I slam a bottle of gunmetal gray down harder than I should.

“Oh, good lord. Why doesn’t the man just pee on my leg and mark me as his territory?”

“That’s a wolf thing, not a bear.”

I tilt my head at him. “Huh?” Leo waves a hand. “Nothin’.” He leaps back out of the chair, sending it skidding backward.

“Anyhow. I came here to ask if you wanted me to put together those supplies for you since Cole’s being a jackass.”

“Oh. That’d be sweet. Thank you, Leo.” I beam at him. “I have the list right…um…” I bend over and grab the crumpled wad out of the trashcan, and then do my best to smooth the paper before handing it over. My cheeks feel hot.

Leo just shakes his head and chuckles. “All righty. I’ll see what I can round up and I’ll text you later with the total. You can swing by and pay for things after hours.”

“That’d be wonderful. Thank you so much, Leo. Truly. You’re a good friend.”

He studies the list, and then that coy grin moves over his face again. “You don’t have condoms on this list.”

“I…I beg your pardon?”

“Condoms.” He taps the paper. “You want me to pack some for you?”

A nervous laugh escapes my throat. “Why would I need that?”

He shrugs. “No reason. I’ll get this started for you. Later, Adelaide.”

“Bye.” I watch him leave, curious. Does he really think I’m going to hook up with someone on Pat’s camping trip? It’s absurd. The only person I want to hook up with is Cole…who hates me.

I sigh. I must really have it bad. Maybe a few days in the woods will do me a lot of good.

••• “Here’s a robe for you,” I say to Mrs. Wesson as I lead her back to room two. “I’ll give you a few minutes to change and pick out a scent for your massage oils, and then I’ll be in shortly.” I smile at her encouragingly.

“Do you have lavender?” she asks in a feeble voice. Mrs. Wesson is ninety if she’s a day. She’s been here every Monday this month, and she always asks for lavender.

“Of course I do.” I let her into the room and shut the door behind her just as the front door chimes.

Frowning, I flip the ‘occupied’ sign on room two, and then head back toward the front waiting area. I don’t have anyone else lined up this afternoon and I never take walk-ins.

I’m more than a little surprised to see Pat Samson standing in my spa, peering over my Zen water fountain. He’s got his camo trucker cap in his hand and is squeezing the bill repeatedly.

“Hi, Pat. What brings you here?” I keep my voice pleasant, though I’ve got a funny knot in my stomach at the sight of him.

It can’t be coincidence that Cole tells me he doesn’t want me to go camping with Pat, and then Pat shows up several hours later. That’s a little too neat, if you ask me.

Pat nods at me. “Just wanted to come and see if you had any questions about the trip this weekend? Weather’s a go so far.”

I relax a little. He’s just being friendly. It has nothing to do with that jerk Cole. “I’m still a go.

Leo’s getting some camping gear for me.”

“Remember some thermals. Might be a cold night on Friday.” He gives me a flirty look. “Though I wouldn’t mind if you wanted to curl up with me, of course.”

I chuckle, because it’s rather pleasant to have a guy flirt with you. “Nice try.

I’m getting a heavy-duty sleeping bag. But I thank you for the offer.”

He winks. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”

“Can’t say that,” I agree. And out of habit, I look over at Cole’s sporting goods store. If I squint, I can just barely make out a face staring over here.

I can just picture the glare on Cole’s face. Did he see Pat come over here? Is that getting on his nerves? Good. I want him to stew a little. I’m still wounded from earlier this morning.

It’s that remembered slight that makes me toss my hair and lean forward on my counter to smile at Pat. “So, are we going to see any wildlife out on this

trip? I’d love to see some deer.”

Suck it, Cole.

3 Cole Pat Samson’s tour group shows up around four in the afternoon. They’re young, cute, and bubbly.

Samson’s tour guide webpage has multiple pictures of him shirtless, holding an ax over his shoulder, and sweating lightly. Running around in the North woods without a shirt in the summer is asking for Lyme disease.

But the ladies eat that shit up. Rumor is that Samson sleeps with at least one of his guests each trip. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but there’s no way Adelaide is going with them.

No way.

I bite my tongue as the ladies flit around the shop, cooing over some wood carvings that Mal Standard whittles in his solitary cabin on the other side of the lake. If these women picked their camping guide based on the amount of oil Samson pours over himself for a photograph instead of the actual reviews full of angry and unhappy customers, they deserve whatever happens to them. Still… after the last one hops out the door, I pick up the phone.

“Pine Lodge and Resort,” a young man answers.

By the tremor in his voice, it must be Dillon. Dillon’s thirteen and undergoing a lot of puberty changes. On any given hour of the day, his voice could be two octaves different from the last time you spoke with him.

“Dillon, it’s Cole Braxton. I need to speak with Eli.” “He’s got a group with him.”

I scratch my head. “Get a pen.”

The Solberg boys are forgetful. On the other end of the line, I hear Dillon rummaging through at least four drawers before he huffs back to the phone.

“Got it.”

“Write down there’s a group of three women who are heading out with Samson as a guide starting tomorrow.”

“Make that four,” Leo breezes back in and starts plucking items off the shelf. My eyes narrow.

“Four?” Dillon chirps.

“Three,” I say firmly glaring at Leo. He’s unfazed.

“Okay. What else?” he asks.

“That’s it. Your uncle will know what to do.” I hang up and round the counter.

Leo holds up a lightweight backpack. “This your best woman’s pack? I want to make sure I get a good one.”

I grab it from him and hang it back on the hook. Arms crossed, I glower at Leo. “What are you doing?”

“You’ll need to call Eli back and tell him it’s four women. I don’t want him passing up the Samson group just because of a miscount.” His eyes dance as he taunts me.

It doesn’t take much brain power to guess who the fourth one is.

“She’s not going,” I tell him. The pulse point at my temple starts throbbing.

“Oh, she is.” He pulls the pack off the wall again. “I was just over there, and she was telling me how excited she was. It’s her first real vacation from the spa, and she wants to get the true native experience.”

I rip the pack away from him and take it into the back room. Leo trots after me. “She’s not getting anything but bit up to hell by bugs and fed shitty water. She’ll come home with the runs and won’t be able to work at her shop for five days. Then she’ll hate this town and leave for Minneapolis where she’ll meet some pansy-assed actuary and be bored out of her everloving skull.”

His eyebrows shoot into his forehead. “I see you haven’t given any thought to this at all.”

I clench my jaw and turn away in frustration. Yes, I want Adelaide. I’ve wanted her for three fucking years, but the sad fact is that I’d rather have her be hooking up with an actuary than dead because I couldn’t keep my animal urges under control. “Just make sure she’s safe.”

“No can do,” he whistles merrily as if I hadn’t just ripped open my guts and laid them on the floor for his inspection. “I’ve already told Adelaide I’d help her out. If you really think she shouldn’t be going on this trip, then you’ll have to stop her.”

I’m surrounded by a bunch of fools. “Watch the register.”

I ignore the muffled snort of laughter that follows me out of the front door.

In less than ten seconds, I wrench open the door to Adelaide’s spa and step inside. The dim lighting and the soft music do nothing to decrease the pounding in my head.

“Is Adelaide here?” I rein in my irritation and opt for a smile for Adelaide’s little helper.

She grimaces and points down the hall. “She’s in her office.”

Adelaide’s office is tiny and smells—fuck me—like a perfumed bathhouse.

I’ve got to get out of here. I back out. “Sorry, I’ll just wait for you outside.”

“No, come in, Cole.” Adelaide jumps up from behind her glossy white desk and the motion makes her tits bounce.

I’m instantly hard. Ever since she moved in here, I’ve gotten turned on by the scents of detergent and shampoos and basically every cleaning agent out there. I’ve had to avoid the bathroom aisle of the local grocery store so I don’t scare any children or old ladies with my inappropriate woodies.

I try to escape into the front room, but Adelaide is faster than me and has the door slammed shut before I can get my body out of the danger zone.

She leans against the door, breathing slightly heavily at the exertion. Her breasts rise and fall with each intake of air. Between my legs, my balls tighten and my cock thumps its head against the cold steel of my zipper. Of all the days to go commando, it would have to be this day.

I make a mental note to do laundry more often so that I won’t be unprotected around Adelaide. I need at least five layers of clothing to prevent her from seeing the erection I’m always sporting around her.

“Why are you here, Cole?”

Why was I here? My brain had short-circuited when she shut the door and plastered herself against the wood. In just two steps, I could be standing between her soft thighs. In another move, I could have the skirt of her pretty dress up around her neck with my cock pressed against her cunt lips.

Would she be wet?

I take a deep breath, and the smell of her arousal staggers me. A bear’s sense of smell is better than a dog’s, a wolf’s, and definitely better than a human’s. I’ve never smelled this on her before.

Maybe I’ve never been this close to her. Maybe I’ve been too focused on trying to get away before she realizes my cock wants to burrow into her body every time she’s within a five mile radius of me.

Against my better judgment, I take that step. And then another, until we’re so close that when she gasps, her hard nipples scrape against my chest through the thin fabric of her dress.

Somewhere in the back of my head, a warning bell is going off, but the blood rushing past my ears makes it impossible to hear anything but the raspy intake of air between us.

“Adelaide, you need to move away from me,” I whisper hoarsely. Fire licks along my spine, heating me to a desperate boiling point that has only one outlet. My mouth on hers.

“Make me.”

I can’t help myself. I press my mouth against hers. I mean to punish her for being so goddamned sexy, for refusing to move, for daring to spend time with that asswipe Samson. But the moment I feel her soft lips part under my mouth, I’m done for. She owns me, and has from the minute she placed her beautiful toes in this town.

I’ve fought this for so long and for what? I can’t even remember now why I’ve stayed away. I stroke my tongue inside of her. She moans, and it makes me feel a thousand feet tall. I could go outside and fell a forest of trees powered by this one kiss.

I reach behind her and lift her against my diamond-hard cock. The need to be inside her is an incessant drumbeat in my head. I have to claim her. Now. She wraps her legs around me, and I fit my cock against the notch between her legs. She shudders and begins to ride me. Through the denim of my jeans, through the thin fabric of her dress, through whatever scraps of lace and cloth cover her pussy, I swear I can feel her heat and wetness. The top of my head nearly comes off. That pussy surrounding my cock? I need that.

Holy hell, do I need that.

I rip my mouth away from hers and trail it along her jaw. She tastes like strawberries and sunshine. As I reach her ear, she tilts her head to expose the long, smooth column of her neck.

I can’t resist the invitation. Her skin is softer than a lamb’s. What does she put on herself?

Unicorn tears? Jesus Christ.

“You are so fucking soft,” I mumble against her throat. “So soft and so fucking delicious.”

“And you are so very hard,” she whimpers.

Too hard. My cock could break her. My physical strength is too great for her. I shouldn’t be here, I remind myself.

“Adelaide, please,” I plead, breaking away from her sweet mouth. “Make me leave.”

She shakes her head numbly and tightens her legs around me, grinding against me. “No way. I’ve waited a long time for this.”

She’s waited?

Fuck.

Whatever scruples I may have had are gone. I need this skirt gone. I need her on some table. I need to be between her legs.

I swing her around, looking for some kind of surface to place her on. The only thing I see is her desk. It’s got bottles on it and papers and other shit.

I stumble toward it, tripping over a chair and nearly dropping her. She yelps in surprise or fear and clutches me tighter.

“I’m sorry. Shit.” I manage to get her to the desk and sit her on the edge, but in the process knock over several bottles. Goddammit. “Shit,” I repeat. I try to right the mess, and my big paws accidentally push papers onto the floor. I drop to my knees to gather stuff up, and my rock-hard cock screams in protest as it folds over in my jeans.

“It’s nothing, Cole. Really. I’ll get it later.” Adelaide jumps down from her perch and tries to help me.

Somehow, my shoulder knocks into the desk, and I watch in horror as her expensive laptop totters and then slides off the surface. It crashes to the floor, and we both wince at the sound of breaking glass.

The lust that fogged my mind since I stepped inside this office finally burns away. I push to my feet and look at the wreckage. Paper and broken bottles lie in a drunken, sodden mess near our feet.

The computer is lying on its side, but the glass screen is clearly cracked.

The desk is askew and one chair has tipped over. Adelaide rises and pushes a hand through her hair. I turn away before I can see the dismay and disgust in her eyes.

“Don’t touch anything in here. I’ll get one of the Solberg boys to come over and clean everything up,” I tell her as I open the door.

“You’re leaving?” she asks incredulously.

“Haven’t I done enough?” I gesture toward the wreck in the room.

“So we made a mess. It can all be cleaned up.” She starts toward me. I hold up a hand to stop her.

This is just a sample of the real havoc I’d wreak on her. Better I destroyed her office than I hurt her.

I don’t know how to rein in the animal when I’m with her. She makes me lose my mind. On the way out, I spot a pair of hiking boots in the corner.

Fuck. I’d forgotten why I’d come over here.

“Don’t go with Pat Samson,” I say gruffly.

“Why?” “He’s dangerous.”

“And you’re not?” She makes a frustrated sound at the back of her throat.

“Exactly. Stay away from both of us.”

The fallen expression on her face cuts me to the bone, and I leave before I bleed out in front of her.

4 Adelaide I touch my lips as Cole storms out of my office, leaving a hurricane of destruction in his wake. Oddly enough, I don’t mind the busted computer or the expensive testers of scents that are now stinking up my office.

I mind that he left. I flung myself at the guy and he ran away like I was a leper. Jeez. That hurts a girl’s ego.

Still…he did kiss me.

In a daze, I ignore the mess on the floor and return to the chair behind my desk. I sit down and pull a drawer open. I should be cleaning up the spilled bottles and the papers. Instead, I pull out my bullet vibe.

Oh, come on. Like any girl wouldn’t have a vibe in her desk if she got to look at Cole every day. I hike my skirt up under the desk and push the vibe into my panties. God, I’m so wet just from that kiss.

I’m baffled as to why he ran. But that kiss—oh, that kiss—is going to fuel my fantasies for months.

Years, even. I flick the vibe on, and a jolt sears through me as it starts. I begin to rub it against the hood of my clit as I close my eyes and picture Cole’s face, not angry with frustration, but dazed with lust. The smoky look in his eyes when my legs went around his hips. The feel of the bristle on his cheek as his mouth slid over mine.

I come nearly instantly.

•••

Cole doesn’t come back, and my horny hopes die a slow and painful death over the next few days.

And with the death of my hopes, irritation returns. Who does Cole think he is? He doesn’t want to take me camping—lord knows I’ve coyly hinted at it more than once—but he doesn’t want anyone else to take me camping either. Am I supposed to sit around and wait another three years for him to kiss me?

I mean, there’s only so much entertainment in this town, and my Netflix account is down to suggesting foreign art films because I’ve seen everything else.

And really…the only thing that’s driven him to actually kiss me is jealousy.

So that camping trip with Pat? Totally on.

I’m strategic about things, as well. My apartment’s across town, but I decide to head for the Lodge straight from work on Friday. And I make sure to wear my ‘sexy’ camper clothing. I have a tiny white undershirt that peeks out from under a red flannel shirt that’s been artfully hemmed by the local tailor so it emphasizes my breasts. I let it gape open, naturally. I pair this with a pair of cute, rather brief cargo shorts and some cute hiking boots. My hair’s fixed into two long, curly pigtails over each shoulder, Elly Mae Clampett style, and my red lipstick is out in action. When I’m satisfied that my appearance can’t be improved on, I check my teeth for lipstick stains, pop a mint, and then shoulder my backpack for the saunter across Main Street.

If Cole sees me, he doesn’t come out of his store.

I’m super disappointed. I even walk a little slower, just in case he’s busy with customers. No dice. With a sigh, I give up and head toward the Lodge.

Pine Falls is a cute, touristy sort of place with one main street full of shops that more or less lead up to the Lodge, where all of the winter happenings start. I don’t know more than the bare details about it, except that there are a

lot of skiers and dog sled teams and the like. My business isn’t the guys as much as it is the wives left in town who don’t want to be all sporty, though.

The Lodge is just up the hill from the main road, but it takes me forever to hike up there with my backpack. Guess I should have driven. By the time I make it up to the front of the Lodge—the meeting place for Pat’s group— I’m huffing and sweaty, and my oh-so-carefully arranged curls are now sticking to my forehead and neck.

I’m three minutes early, but Pat’s waiting in the main lobby of the Lodge already. He’s wearing a flannel shirt like me, and ours are both open with a similar number of buttons undone for a sexy gape.

That’s…weird on a guy. I fight the instinct to button my own shirt a little higher in response.

Pat flashes a grin at me, his teeth toothpaste-commercial white against his tanned face. Actually, he doesn’t look tanned as much as he looks spraytanned. His hair’s perfectly tousled in the way only good product can manage, and his jeans are tight. The bag he hauls over his shoulder looks brand new, and I’m always a little surprised at Pat’s appearance. Aren’t mountain men supposed to look a bit more…rugged? Pat’s definitely metrosexual. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just odd in a trail guide.

“Addie!”

My smile becomes a little more forced. If I’m honest, I hate the nickname ‘Addie’. Probably because no one ever says my full name…except Cole.

Damn it, I’ve still got Cole on my mind.

Pat moves toward me and his arms go out, and I realize he wants to hug me.

Okay, weird. I give him an awkward half-hug and pull back quickly. Maybe he’s just super friendly. We’ve been occasionally chatty here and there, but nothing that warrants hugging.

“Or is it Lady?” he says as I pull away.

“Huh?” “Is it Addie, or Lady?”

Ugh. Seriously? It takes work to keep the smile on my face. “Let’s go with ‘Addie’.” I think I’ll puke if he really starts calling me ‘Lady’.

“How we doing today?” He rubs his hands and looks eager.

“I’m great.” I scan the Lodge for other campers. It’s pretty empty right about now. Off-season, I tell myself. “Looks like I’m early.”

He gives me another dazzling smile, and takes my pack from my shoulder and hefts it onto his.

“Um, I can carry that.” I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to be part of the plan of roughing it?

“Nonsense,” he says, and puts a hand on my shoulder to steer me. “And you’re not early. It’s just the two of us tonight.”

I stare at him, planting my feet. “Wait, what?”

“It’s just the two of us tonight,” he says, and either winks or has something in his eye. God, I hope it’s the latter. I’m starting to get a weird feeling about all of this.

“But…I thought this was a group tour.”

“Oh, it is,” he assures me. “Tomorrow night. Tonight it’s just us. You said you wanted to rough it, so I’m taking you to one of my favorite spots. We’ll just need to watch out for bears and other wildlife.”

“I don’t know if I want to rough it enough to warrant a visit from bears,” I tell him nervously.

“Maybe we should just wait for the rest of the group—”

“Trust me,” he says, and puts that steering arm around my shoulders again.

“You’ll love this, I promise.”

“No, really—” Pat pauses and looks shocked. “Are you worried about being alone with me?”

“What? Don’t be silly.” I wave a hand, trying to dismiss my fears. “And um, I guess, a little. It’s just weird, you know?”

He leans in. “Between you and me, I don’t know how much of campers the others are going to be, so I thought we’d hit all the cool spots today and tomorrow, and swing back to get them for the kiddie shit. But if you’re uncomfortable—” “No, no, it’s fine,” I say, despite the weirdness of the situation. I did ask to rough it. I did ask to see a few of the local spots. He’s giving me what I asked for.

I can’t be weird about this. Pat guides groups out all the time, a lot of them full of women. The nervousness is all in my head.

••• It’s not in my head. Pat’s a creep.

It started out innocuously enough, but the longer we hiked up the mountain, the more convinced I became that this was a bad idea. For one, he left the trails behind, telling me he knew a ‘shortcut’.

‘Shortcut’ seemed to mean ‘cut through the trees and bushes and forge your own path that even Bigfoot wouldn’t want to take’.

As we walk and my legs get bitten by bugs and slapped by branches, I worry about tonight. I’m not interested in Pat. Like, not even slightly. He’s a nice guy, but there’s something a little…heavy-handed about his jokes that’s pinging my rape-

dar.

“So where’s this great stargazing spot?” I ask for the hundredth time as I watch the sun disappear behind the trees. “You said we were almost there?”

“We are,” he agrees, and checks his wrist-compass. “Isn’t this some great scenery?”

“Lovely,” I agree. And it is pretty. Everything’s alive and lush with early summer…including the black flies. I slap at one that lands on my arm. I hear the crinkle of paper and see that Pat has his back to me. Curious, I move forward to peer over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”

“Hm? Nothing!” He hides something that looks suspiciously like a map.

“Are we lost?” I ignore the quiver of terror in my stomach. Cole was right, I think, then squash that idea.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Pat says, and then gives me another toothy smile.

“We’re just taking a breather to enjoy the twilight air.” He inhales deeply.

I slap at another bug.

“Are they biting you?” he asks, all concern.

“Everywhere,” I agree. He should have mentioned that I’d need bug spray, but all he’d told me to wear was a smile. I’m really regretting this trip. I should have waited for Cole. After all, what’s another three years to a lonely virgin? I sigh.

“Sit here,” Pat instructs me, and his hand on my elbow steers me toward a fallen log.

As he does, I hear a branch snap in the woods. I turn, scanning the trees. It’s dusk and so it’s getting harder to see. “What was that?”

“Probably just deer—” “You said there were bear in this area—”

“It’s just a deer,” Pat repeats, and presses on my shoulder. “Sit and let me look at your legs.”

I sit as instructed, and the moment I do, he picks up my foot and slides a hand along my calf. A startled “Eeep!” escapes me.

“Oh my,” Pat murmurs, stroking my leg. “It’s a shame to see these beauties all torn up. You poor baby.”

“I’m fine,” I say, and try to jerk my foot back. This trip has gotten Officially Weird.

He doesn’t let me have my foot back. In fact, his hand strokes over my knee and then to my thigh, where I slap it away.

“Hands off!”

“Don’t be like that, Addie.” He gives me a flirty grin. “You want me to rub some lotion on you?

I’m real good at making girls feel better.”

“Ew. Just leave me alone.”

Another branch snaps in the woods.

He doesn’t let go of my leg, and I do my best to kick his crotch. “I’m serious, Pat. This is not funny. I’m not interested in you like this!”

His smile grows harder around the edges. “Don’t be a fucking tease. Why else would you want to come up here with me alone if it wasn’t to get laid?”

I gasp. “Because of nature! And I didn’t want to be alone!”

“You don’t have to play hard to get anymore, baby,” he murmurs. “I’m a sure thing.” And he reaches to slide a hand up my thigh again.

This time, it sounds like something’s thundering through the woods…and heading right in our direction.

5 Cole After the last tour group gets kitted out, I close up shop and head for the Lodge. Eli’s place serves as the meeting ground for most of the tour groups, even if they aren’t headed up by Eli and his crew.

He allows it, figuring that doing a solid by the townsfolk will play in our favor should the secret of our otherness get out.

Eli thinks it’d be good to come out. Up here, people are mostly pragmatic and practical and would be less likely to turn us into circus animals than down in the cities. I don’t have an opinion either way. Living with humans doesn’t mean we are humans, though.

I find Eli in his office overlooking one of the many tributaries that make up the Boundary Waters —massive amounts of fresh water that separates the US and Canada.

“Good to see you, Cole,” Eli says absently as he paws through his mail.

“What can I do for you?”

“You get my message about the Samson thing?” I ask. There’s a plate of cookies sitting on the edge of the desk, and I sweep up five before Eli can protest. “Jesus. These are fucking amazing,” I mumble around a mouthful of soft gooey heaven. “What’s in them?”

“Honey. Sugar. Butter? Fuck if I know.” He removes the plate from my reach. “You don’t have to worry about Samson’s group. I reviewed the trails he plans to take them on and they’re all baby courses. Even Samson should be able to make it through those hikes without any injuries. There are no night events either. Everyone is either checked in here at the Lodge or one of the cabins.”

“Actually I saw Samson go out today with someone,” chirps Dillon who comes in to steal a few cookies.

“A girl someone?” I ask suspiciously.

“Yeah.” He reaches for more, but Eli growls a low warning, which makes Dillon back off. “I think it’s the lady who runs that girly place in town. The one with pillows on the sign in front of the building.”

I jump out of the chair and glare at Eli. “You said no one was going out until tomorrow and definitely no overnight camping.”

He raises his hands as if to fend off a blow. “This wasn’t on his agenda.”

This time it’s me who does the growling. Eli and Dillon’s ears flatten against their heads in response. Dillon backs up against the door and lowers his head.

I spin on my heel. I don’t want to fight Eli or his cub. It’s Samson that I want and Samson that I’m going to have. “I have to go. What direction did he take?”

“I think he was going toward Bass Lake Trail.”

The Superior National Forest isn’t for amateurs. There are things that live in these dense forested regions that no human should come into contact with.

“If you’re thinking of shifting, there’s a house full of human guests the west side of the Lodge.

You’ll probably want to avoid them,” Eli advises. “What will you do if you catch her?”

“When I catch her,” I correct him. “I’m going to take her home and make sure she understands the Superior National Forest isn’t safe for her without a guide from here.”

“And that’s all you plan?” he asks. It’s clear he’s been talking to Leo. “Adelaide is a human,” I remind him, and exit the office. He follows me.

“Just because Eric Christiansen had an unfortunate run-in with his girlfriend doesn’t mean the same thing can happen with you. You’re older and you have a lot more control of your animal.”

“I won’t risk it with Adelaide.”

“Then what does it matter if she’s out with Pat Samson?”

“Because she’s mine. ” I bare my teeth and take off, ignoring Eli’s hearty chuckle behind me.

It doesn’t take long to shift. The beast is just underneath the skin, and calling him forth takes no more effort than scratching an itch. I pick up Adelaide’s scent along with a putrid male one. I don’t make any effort to quiet my lumbering through the woods. I want Samson to know I’m coming, and if he shits his pants in fear…so much the better.

“Don’t be a fucking tease.” I hear Samson order. “Why else would you want to come up here with me alone if it wasn’t to get laid?”

“Because of nature! And I didn’t want to be alone!” Adelaide exclaims.

The yelp and slap that follow get swallowed by the crashing of my eighthundred-pound body through the underbrush.

“What the fuck is that?” Samson cries.

“Where are you going? Stop that! Come back here, you asshole!”

When I reach the small clearing, Adelaide is watching Samson’s back retreat down the slope.

“Oh my God!” she screams, and starts to run down the same way Samson took. I lunge past her, chasing after Samson. With a giant grizzly hot on his heels, Samson runs faster than Usain Bolt, and we leave Adelaide far behind us.

The acrid smell of urine wafts up and I veer off the path to avoid stepping in Samson’s piss.

Finally, his weak human legs give out and he collapses near the edge of the woods. I crouch down into a lunging motion and that’s enough to spur Samson into gear again. He jumps up and runs to his Jeep. After a couple of false starts, he peels out, spitting up gravel behind him.

Satisfied he’s gone, I hunt for a clan cache—a hidden hold in the ground or around a tree stump that contains clothes and food for the bears and other creatures that shift. I find one halfway back to Adelaide, but the fit is off.

The cubs must have stocked this one. The pants don’t zip all the way, and end around my ankles. I pull on the socks and forego the shoes entirely. The T-shirt strains at the seams. If I even stretch, I might rip the thing. I tie the plaid flannel around my waist and position it so my damn cock isn’t dangling in the wind.

I hurry back to where Adelaide was left behind and find her on the trail, holding a twig like a weapon. Tears have dried in streaks on her face, and there are big red welts forming from the mosquitoes. Damn Samson. He didn’t even prepare her.

Her fine breasts are going to be one big bug bite if she doesn’t get out of the woods soon.

“Cole, what are you doing here? Did you see the bear? Oh my God, it was so huge. I thought it was going to eat me,” she half-laughs, half-shudders.

“You have any bug spray?” I ask, ignoring the questions.

She nods. “I lacquered it on, but the bugs are still eating me up.”

“You got to cover up.” I pull the flannel from my waist and drape it over her chest. “Give me your bottle,” I demand.

“It’s in the pack.” She jerks a thumb over her shoulder.

I grab her hand and march back to the clearing. I try to ignore the electricity that heats up the minute we make contact, and the fact that my pants are

now being held up solely by my fully erect cock. There’s no chance in hell she doesn’t see it.

“What are you doing here?” she presses.

“I think that’s my question,” I shoot back. “I told you not to come out here with Samson.”

“Well, I guess you didn't give me a good enough reason to stay in town,” she replies pertly.

I wish she wasn’t so goddamned irresistible. Why couldn’t her skin be less soft or her hair less pretty? Why does she dress like she’s my wet dream come to fucking life? What did I ever do to deserve this kind of torment?

“There are dangers out here that Samson can’t protect you from.” When we reach her pack, I drop to one knee and pull out her bug repellant. I spray it liberally all over her legs.

“Ouch. That burns.” She flinches when the acid hits the red scratches the branches and underbrush made on her skin.

“Sorry. Fuck.” I lean forward and blow on the tiny wounds.

She freezes, and then her hands drop to my shoulders. I realize then just where I am—on my knees between her legs. If I raise my head, my nose would be right at pussy level. And even over the distinct smell of mosquito repellent, I can smell her.

She smells like fucking heaven.

“Am I in danger now?” she whispers hoarsely.

I force myself to keep my eyes on her legs—although that’s not much better. Her calves, knees, and thighs are just as delicious-looking as any part of her.

“No,” I manage to choke out.

“Then let’s stay here. Just you and I.” Her hands have found their way into my hair, and the gentle scrape of her nails against my scalp is doing things to me. Like rubbing away any resistance I have toward her. Not that I had much to begin with.

“Tonight?” I close my eyes and imagine sliding my hands up her juicy thighs until they meet at the juncture of her legs. I fantasize about tugging down her shorts until all she’s wearing is a pair of tiny panties that are soaked with her desire.

I’d nudge the sopping fabric aside with my nose, and then lay the flat of my tongue against her wet, hot pussy. I’d eat her until her gentle touch turned animalistic. I’d suck and lick and bite her until her nails scored my flesh and she was scaring the birds away with her screams.

“Yes, tonight. I went with Pat Samson because I've been here for three years and never once have I done anything outdoorsy. I thought…” she pauses.

“You thought what?” My voice sounds like my throat has been thoroughly scored with the roughest sandpapermade.

She tenses against me, and then sighs. “I thought maybe you'd see me as something more than just a pampered princess.”

“I do see you,” I say quietly. “You're all I see.”

“Then why?” she cries. “Why did you kiss me today and then run off?”

With a big heave of my own breath, I lean back on my haunches and dangle my hands between my legs. The hurt in her voice calls forth a more honest response than I was prepared to give. “Since you’ve come to town I haven’t looked at another woman.”

“Really?”

I nod miserably. Does that make me less of a male to her? Perhaps she believes a real male is like Samson, nailing every willing body that moves in front of him.

“That’s amazing, but why stay away? I…I want you, too.”

Her honey-filled words are like an aphrodisiac. I muffle a groan of need.

“Because I’m too big for you. Look at these hands.”

I raise my big rough palms between us.

“Oh, trust me, I have.” Her cheeks turn rosy and I know it’s not due to the sun. This time my growl is too loud to hide, and it causes her to blush harder. She drops to her knees in front of me and places a small hand on my arm. It takes every ounce of control I have not to maul her then and there.

“Is it because you’re afraid of breaking things?” She strokes the forearm exposed by the too-short sleeves. “Look at this out here. It’s wide open, and if we knock the tent over, it makes for a good story. Nothing is getting destroyed out here.”

My cock is one solid pulsating mass. I could come from her just petting my damn arm.

“It’s not things I’m worried about destroying,” I say lowly. This time the heat is in my cheeks. If Leo could see me now, I’d never hear the end of it.

Ruddy-faced like some wet-behind-the-ears cub!

“It’s you.”

6 Cole “Me?” She laughs incredulously. “Cole, I’m not a delicate flower. I’m a… meaty girl. I’ve got hips and an ass”—she reaches around and pats that plush bit of flesh—“that are probably big enough to be seen by satellite.”

I force myself to look down at my hands instead of peering over her shoulder. Her generous ass is one of my favorite things to look at. I never leave my window when she’s walking around town.

“You’re beautiful, Adelaide.” I swipe an unsteady hand across the back of my mouth. “Too beautiful for a brute like me.”

“That seems like a really convenient excuse to let me down gently. Gosh, Adelaide, you’re just so pretty that I can’t stand to touch you.” Hurt mars her lovely face.

I don’t have a good answer for her because that’s exactly what I’m saying, only she doesn’t believe me. She thinks I’m blowing her off with fake words.

She straightens up and bends over to pick up her pack, her shirt gaping open to reveal the deep shadow of her cleavage.

Plaid has never looked sexy before—but now? Every time I go to my closet, I’m going to be thinking of the pattern wrapping around Adelaide’s gorgeous body and I’ll get hard. I’d like to take her plaid top home and lay it on the pillow and imagine that she’s with me. It might be the closest I’ll ever come to having Adelaide in my bed.

I get to my feet too and try to shove my cock to the side so it isn’t obscenely pointing in her direction. She isn’t paying attention to me anyway.

“How far is it to the road?” She squints down the empty trail. The sun is setting, and with the canopy of trees, there isn’t much light around here.

“Probably a half an hour,” I admit. I could make the distance in ten minutes, but a human would take at least twice as long. “And you’re not going to be happy about it, but Samson took off.”

“You know that how?” She wheels back to me.

“I saw him.”

“You saw him?” she repeats. “You saw him drive off in his car, and showed up down this trail that is a half an hour away only minutes later?”

“I’m pretty fast,” I offer lamely.

Her eyes narrow. I could lead her out of the forest easily. My night vision is damn good, but I kind of like being out here, alone with Adelaide, even if she is pissed off at me.

“This your tent?” Samson had done a halfway decent job of setting up camp. There was a tarp underneath the tent and the stakes were driven in nice and deep.

I toss one flap of the opening aside, and my lip curls when I see the setup. A king-size air mattress covered with two sleeping bags. Maybe I’d misread the situation between her and Samson. Maybe she wanted to be out here alone with him.

“Yes. Pat only brought one. I thought we’d each have a tent or I’d share with one of the other girls, but no one else was out here tonight.” She joins me and peers into the tent. “That asshole!” she spits out when she sees the mattress. “No wonder he had me gathering firewood. He was busy setting this up.” She tsks in disgust.

“So you didn’t want this?” I ask with renewed hope that I have no business feeling.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I wanted to camp.” She sighs.

“Dammit. This day has gone to shit. I’ve tried for three years to show you that I’m here for the taking, but you’ve ignored every signal until this morning. And then after you kiss me, you run off. We’re finally alone out here in this gorgeous place and you won’t touch me because I’m too attractive or some dumbshit reason, but you know what?”

I shake my head because I don’t know anything. I’m mesmerized by the fire in her eyes. What does she look like when she’s in the grip of passion?

When she orgasms, do her eyes shoot flames? Fuck, to be burned by her would be the pinnacle of my pathetic life.

“I’m camping. You can do what you want, but tonight I’m going to sleep in this stupid tent, and tomorrow, when I wake up, I’m going to look for a place to open a spa that is far away from asinine men. And it’ll be a huge

hit because there are probably millions of women just like me who are tired of you and your silly games.”

She steps inside the tent and whips the flap closed, the nylon material slapping me in the face. A thought emerges…if I could show her how much I want her, how true my feelings are for her, maybe she would understand and forgive me.

“Adelaide,” I growl. The word comes out more menacing than I intend. I clear my throat and try again. “Adelaide, may I come in?”

“For what?”

“To apologize.”

“You can apologize out there.”

“Not properly, I can’t.” I need to be in front of you, Adelaide, on my knees so I can show you exactly how sorry I am.

“Fine,” she huffs. “Come in then. You have five minutes.”

I open the flap and take one step in before falling on my knees.

“What are you doing?” she asks suspiciously.

“Showing you how beautiful I think you are. How much I want you. How I spend every night dreaming of you. How no day is complete until I’ve caught just one glimpse of you.”

I place my rough palms on the back of her legs and slide them down to the tops of her socks. With slow deliberate moves, I unlace her boots, giving her every chance to kick me out. She stands there, mute now. I look up and her face is filled with a cautious hope.

I pull one boot off and then the other. I set them in the corner of the tent.

Her socks are next. Her

cute toes curl into the tent floor, and I hear a deep inhale above me. Still she waits.

I lean down and kiss the tops of her feet and then the indent behind each ankle bone. A swift gasp escapes her. She’s sensitive here. My tongue darts out to lick the hollows. The next moment I feel her slender hands land on my shoulders. I brace for rejection, but when she doesn’t push me away, I reapply myself, kissing my way to her calves.

With each new patch of skin I encounter, her grip on my shoulders becomes stronger and more secure. She isn’t going to turn me away. As I reach the softest part of her legs, the delicate portion that lies just inches away from that honeyed juncture, I take a deep breath and let her arousal fill my lungs.

My trembling hands meet at her waist, and I take a chance to look up. Her blue eyes glow with anticipation. I lick my lips as if I can already taste her.

“You smell amazing,” I tell her.

“Like bug spray and sweat?” she jokes.

I lean forward and place my nose right between her legs. “Like goddamn heaven.”

She flushes adorably. The scent of her arousal is making me drunk with lust. I fumble with the button on her shorts, but manage to push the damn thing out of the buttonhole. She sucks in a breath when I slide down the zipper.

“Goddamn,” I choke out as the delicate lace of her light blue panties is revealed. “Goddamn.”

I let her shorts drop to the ground and reverently shape my hands around those luscious hips.

“You’re so fucking beautiful. If I was controlling a satellite, its camera would definitely be pointed at your ass.”

She gurgles with laughter. “Is that right?” she replies flirtatiously.

I grin up at her. The anger and frustration that was there earlier has been replaced by desire and some kind of giddy pleasure. I aim to put an expression of pure ecstasy there by the time I’m done.

“Definitely.” I squeeze her ass cheeks. “This here is a work of art. Don’t ever talk bad about this body of yours. It’s fucking amazing.”

“I’m glad you think so. I don’t believe anyone’s ever said those words in reference to my ass before.”

“Then everyone is a bunch of stupid motherfuckers,” I mumble. “Baby, how much do you like these panties?”

“They’re my favorite pair, why?”

“Where’d you get them?”

“Online. I ordered them off—” She breaks off with a yelp as I slice the sides of the panties in half. My claws retract almost instantaneously.

“I’ll buy you a dozen new pairs,” I promise, and then jerk her forward. I push the palms of my hands against her ass cheeks to hold her steady as I lap my tongue to drink up the juices that coat her swollen pussy lips. Her body is ripe and ready.

The moment I make contact, my taste buds explode. I need more, more, more.

“Oh God,” she cries. Her knees buckle a second before she tells me, “I need to be horizontal for this.”

She tumbles backward onto the air mattress. Her thighs fall open, and despite the dark of the tent, my ursine night vision allows me to see her soft flesh glistening. I drag her toward me until her ass is just at the edge of the mattress.

“I have to have you now.” I kneel between her legs and spread her open. I force myself to take it slow and not devour her in one gulp. I need to make it good for her.

I blow on her heated skin and she shudders. Her fingers dig into the mattress, and her hips arch toward my mouth. I cover her clit with my lips, swirling my tongue around that stiff bud.

I slide one finger inside her tight, hot channel and smile when I hear her gasp and then clench her muscles around me. One finger is followed by a second and then, with a little push, a third finger fits in. She grinds against my mouth, her hips pump furiously against me. I draw out the sensations, curling my fingers against her tender, sensitive, inner flesh.

I love this. I fucking love her.

I have for so long. She’s sassy, successful, and gorgeous. Her writhing beneath me, calling out my name in breathy sighs and pleas for more is every fantasy I’ve ever had come to life. I never thought these rough, dirty hands of mine would ever be allowed to touch something as fine as her.

“Cole, please, give me…I need…please,” she pants.

I drive my fingers into her at a relentless rhythm. Her body spasms beneath me, but I don’t let up. I want to push her over the edge and make her fly.

She twists and arches beneath me like a wild animal, nearly bucking me off with her own physical need for more contact, more pressure, more feeling.

It’s as if she’s been on a sexual fast, and her body is trying to make up for all those lost weekends spent alone in front of her television, wishing for someone to take her. Fuck, that’s me.

I’ve been the one lost and alone. I’ve been pining for her. I’ve spent every spare moment wondering what she feels like, what she tastes like. Now that I’m here, though, I realize none of my weak fantasies could have ever lived up to the real thing.

She feels like magic—wet and hot and tight around my plunging fingers.

She tastes like tart honey, sweet and tangy. I could do this for hours or days or weeks or however long she’d allow me to kneel between her thighs and fuck her with my tongue and fingers.

The beast inside of me roars with pleasure. It wants out. It wants to feed on her desire, but I beat it back. I can’t lose control now, even though my cock is burrowing a hole in the tent floor.

Beneath my driving fingers, beneath my voracious mouth, she rocks toward that orgasmic high.

Her hands fist in my hair and her thighs quiver as she teeters on the edge.

“Come, baby. Come for me,” I urge. “Right now.”

I slap my fingers across her clit and the reaction is immediate. Her cunt clamps down on my fingers and her back bows off the mattress. Her come floods my hand, and I lean forward to lap it all up. I could live off just the honey of her body.

I want to carry her away and into some dark cave in the forest. I’d forage for berries and fish, and feed her only the food that I found. I’d clothe her in the leaves and kelp of the water, and lay her down on a soft bed of foliage where I’d take her like this with my fingers and tongue again and again until she forgot that there was a world beyond that which I could provide for her.

I can’t give her up, but as the blood pounds like thunder in my groin, I know I can’t have her either.

7 Adelaide He stands over me, his face full of need and lust as he gazes down at my sprawled body. I can see the desire in his eyes as they gleam in the darkness, and I squirm with anticipation, my nipples aching.

He called me ‘baby’. He ripped my panties off me and tongued me. He fucked me with his fingers until I came.

God, it’s been worth waiting three years for this man. I don’t regret a bit of it.

My hands slide down my belly and then I rake my nails over my thighs.

They’re still spread, and I absently wonder if I should close them. “Come down here, Cole. I want you to make love to me.”

I guess I should tell him at some point that I’m a virgin. That fingerbang probably did a lot to get rid of the situation, but I still feel like it’s something he should know. I’ll tell him.

Soon.

But he only stares down at me. Is he rethinking things? Please don’t let him rethink things.

To encourage him, I slide my hands up to my shirt. I tug my white undershirt up and reveal my bra.

It’s not a sexy bra, but it does have the advantage of snapping in the middle.

I undo it with a flick, and my breasts spill out.

The breath hisses from his throat.

That got his attention.

My hands stray to my breasts and I tease my nipples. They ache, and I picture his mouth on them, sucking and licking at them the way he did to my pussy. My breath hitches, and I squeeze my breasts, my thumbs gliding over the tips.

Cole gives a low groan, and his hand jerks at his belt. Excited, I arch on the air mattress. Now he’s going to lie down on top of me and fuck me silly. I watch with fascination as he rips his belt off and flings it aside, then shoves his jeans down. He’s not wearing underwear, and the jut of his cock as it’s released from its confines is staggering. Wow. He’s a big guy, in all ways.

His hand goes to his cock and he strokes it. A fascinated gasp escapes me, and I watch as his hand works it over, moving from the base of his shaft to the head. Slow at first, and then quick. I’ve never seen a man do this. Well,

maybe a few minutes of a porno, but it’s different when one’s right in your face inside a shadowy tent.

As I watch, his hand moves faster, and then he groans, squeezing the head.

A hot, wet spatter lands on my thighs and stomach.

And I gasp again, sitting up on my elbows. “Did you just jerk off on me?”

His breath rasps in his throat, all sexy and growly. “Fucking wanted you too much.” Cole drops to his knees. His hand goes to my stomach, and he starts rubbing his sperm into my skin.

I…don’t know how I feel about this. My virginal senses are a little shocked, a lot titillated, and I’m fighting disappointment. Is he not going to touch me again? Maybe there’s more coming. “So,” I say, and lick my lips. “What do we do now?”

Cole continues to rub his come onto my belly, and I can feel myself getting aroused again at his touch. Not that I stopped being aroused. “Now I should probably collect some firewood and see about starting a fire.”

What?

What?

The man gets to his feet and turns away. He’s leaving? I watch as he unzips the tent, but before he can turn and walk away, I grab his pants. Cole’s arms windmill for a moment, and then he falls backward onto the air mattress next to me.

There’s an audible pop and the entire thing deflates under me with a whoosh.

“Hi,” I say as Cole looks over at me. His face is inches from mine.

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I don’t want you to go,” I tell him softly. I reach out and brush a lock of inky dark hair off his forehead. He looks so much more menacing in

the shadows than in the daylight. Strange how it arouses me. His skin is warm and my fingers trail down to his jaw, where there’s a growth of rough stubble. Oh God. I remember that stubble brushing against the insides of my thighs. A small moan escapes my throat.

Cole groans and he captures my hand in his. He leans in and sniffs at my wrist, which seems like an odd gesture to me. But then he takes my fingertip in his mouth and nips it. “I’m just…afraid to hurt you,” he admits in a gruff voice.

“Because I’m a virgin?”

He stills. “You what?”

Oh no. “I’m a virgin, Cole. I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve had plenty of offers from other guys who have let me know that they were interested, but I was waiting for the right guy.” My finger traces along the beard stubble to his full lower lip, and I stroke it with the pad of my forefinger. “When I saw you, I knew I wanted you. Don’t keep pushing me away. Please.”

I half-expect him to go running into the hills, pants around his legs, at the thought of me being a virgin. He’s already worried he’s going to somehow break me.

Instead, he moves over me and he pins my arm back against the flattened mattress. His breathing is a rough rasp in his throat, and his face is so close to mine that I can feel the warmth of his breath and smell the spicy, outdoorsy musk of his scent. “You saved yourself for me?”

His weight presses between my thighs, his hips cradling mine, and I have to fight the urge to wrap my legs around his hips and lock my feet. I nod.

“This body is all mine?” God, there’s such a throaty growl in his voice. It’s making me tingle in all kinds of places. Again, I nod.

Cole gives another harsh groan, and then his mouth swoops down on mine.

I gasp under him, startled at the brutality of the kiss. I love it, though. When his lips mash against mine, I whimper and

arch up against him again, rocking my hips. His tongue dips into my mouth, and I slide mine against his, encouraging him to give me more.

His hand cups my breast, and I cry out because it feels so good. He’s got calluses all over his fingertips and palms, and they rub against my nipple in a way that drives me wild.

“You like that?” His voice is husky and deep, and it makes me wet to hear.

“You like my big, rough hands on you, Adelaide?”

I moan. “God, yes.”

He pinches my nipple between his fingers, and when I moan, he slides his hand lower, past my sticky stomach. His hips lift off mine and a moment later, I feel his hand pushing between my folds.

“You’re so fucking wet for me. I can’t believe I’m the only one to touch you like this, Adelaide.

You’re the hottest fucking piece I’ve ever seen. And you saved this sweet pussy for me?”

I nod, my breath gasping. He’s so close to touching my clit that I can feel myself getting wetter and wetter as each second passes.

“Need to claim you,” he growls, and buries his face against my throat. His fingers press against my clit and rub, and I jump as if shocked.

My fingers dig into his shoulders. “Yes! Claim me. I’m all yours, Cole.” I slide one leg around his hips and rub the bubble of his ass with my foot.

God, his butt is incredible.

He growls again, and it sends an electric thrill through my body as he nips at my throat. “You want me to take you, Adelaide?”

God, do I ever. I hold him tighter against me. “I’m yours.”

Cole grabs my thigh and pushes my legs open wide, and his hips settle between mine again. I cling to his neck, waiting for more kisses or for him

to pull a condom out so we can take things to the next level.

But the head of his cock nudges at my entrance, and then I forget about everything.

“Gonna make you mine,” Cole breathes. He claims my mouth in a hard kiss and then pushes into me.

It feels like I’m being ripped open for all of a second. A small shriek escapes my throat, only to be swallowed up by his kiss.

“Shh,” he murmurs against me, holding me close as I quake. “My Adelaide.”

The throbbing inside me turns into a dull pain, and then slowly subsides. As it does, I become aware of his big body pressing down on mine, of how deep he is inside me, how very close we are to each other. And I start to like it.

I shift my weight, vaguely aware of the hard earth under my back but more aware of Cole and the way he covers me.

“Okay if I move?” he asks, and his hips push a little against mine.

I nod.

He nuzzles me and slowly pulls out, then pushes into me again. There’s a small twinge, but other than that, it doesn’t hurt. He kisses me again, and his tongue coaxes mine as he begins a languid rhythm, stroking into me.

After the first few pushes, there’s no more discomfort, and I start to enjoy it.

I also start to worry I’m not doing enough. Should I lift my hips? Bounce against him? Play with his nipples? I hate being a virgin. I slide my hand along his side. “What do you want me to do? How should I touch you?”

“You touch me however you want to, baby,” he tells me. And then he thrusts again, harder this time.

A gasp escapes my throat, and I try to remember to move my hand over his skin, touching him everywhere. I love the feel of his strong back, and the soft skin of his buttocks over the hard steel of the muscle underneath. All the while, he keeps thrusting into me and murmuring possessive words. It feels good, but not like before, when he drove me crazy. Just…kind of pleasant. I enjoy the feel of his big body over mine more than anything else.

He nips at my ear. “How does it feel, Adelaide?”

“Good?” I tense. “Am I doing something wrong?”

“Nope. I am.” He kisses me again and sucks gently on my lower lip, until I’m moaning with need from his kisses. Gosh, I love kissing him. I could kiss him for weeks on end.

Then, Cole takes my thigh and tugs me up against him, changing the angle of my hips. He grabs one of the pillows from above my head and shoves it under my butt, and then pushes into me again.

This time, I gasp. “That felt…different.”

“Different good?” He rocks his hips, thrusting in again.

And holy cow, it is good. I feel something elusive building in my belly.

“Oh…definitely good.” I bite my lip and concentrate, trying to raise my hips along with his to get more of that feeling. He pauses, and I tighten my grip on his shoulders. “Keep going.”

Cole chuckles and begins to pump into me harder, increasing his pace and the intensity of his thrusts. All the while, the delicious sensation continues to grow deep inside my belly. I close my eyes and concentrate on it, and my nails dig into his shoulders.

His next thrust is rough as hell, but it sends incredible sensations through me. “Oh,” I breathe. He does it again, and another “Oh” escapes me.

“My Adelaide,” he growls. “So fucking beautiful.” He gazes down at me, and I realize that he’s driving both of us across the tent with the force of his

thrusts, and it feels incredible. But I’m still not there. So close, but not quite.

I strain, raising my hips against him with every thrust. “Oh. Cole! I need—” “I know,” he says. I feel him shift against me, and then his hand pushes between my legs. His fingers brush against my clit as he thrusts into me again.

That does it. Everything inside me clenches, and a little sob escapes my throat as my body locks around him. The orgasm rips through me, harder and a thousand times more intense than anything I’ve ever given myself with my vibrator. I’m losing control—exploding into billions of itty bitty pieces— and sobbing with the utter intensity of it.

“I’ve got you,” he says, and then nips at my throat again. “Christ, you feel fucking amazing. You’re squeezing the hell out of my cock with that sweet cunt of yours, aren’t you?”

I can’t respond. I only sob again as he thrusts into me over and over, sending more shockwaves of orgasmic pleasure through me.

“Adelaide!” He growls my name out, and I feel his entire body shudder against mine with the force of his own orgasm. And then he snarls.

And…oh God. It sounds just like the bear did.

8 Adelaide At first, I think the snarl came from Cole. But it really did sound just like the bear.

Which means the bear returned while we were making love…and is now right outside our tent.

“Cole!” I whisper, clinging to him. “The bear’s back!”

He groans loud enough to make me flinch, and buries his face against my breasts as he collapses against me, utterly spent from his orgasm.

“No, no, no no.” I nudge him, trying to encourage him to get up. “Cole, we can’t rest now. The bear—” “There’s no bear,” he murmurs sleepily, and lazily tongues one of my nipples. “Damn, Adelaide.

You have pretty tits.”

“Cole!” I smack his shoulder. “I heard the bear!”

“There’s no bear, I promise.”

“But—” He lifts his head and looks at me. “Baby…I have a secret.”

I stare at him, eyes wide. We forgot condoms and now he’s going to tell me he has a STI. Which is awful, but not quite as awful as getting eaten by a bear. “Now is not the time, Cole. The bear—” “Is me.” He nods slowly. “That was me you heard. I’m the bear.”

I stare at him. A snort escapes me. “Oh, please.”

His eyes narrow and he shoots me a wounded look. And I realize…he’s serious. He thinks he’s a bear.

Oh God. He’s a furry. That’s why such a hot, sexy man has been single for so long. He’s got a bear thing or he thinks he’s a bear in a man’s skin or some craziness like that. I thump his arm. “Can we please not talk about your fetishes when there’s a real bear about to eat us outside?”

“Adelaide!” He pins both of my wrists in his hands. “You’re not listening to me. I am the bear.

That is my secret. I’m a shifter. That’s how I was able to chase off Samson.

That’s how I knew he was gone. That’s why the bear never came back. The bear is me.”

I frown. “I…don’t understand. How can you be a bear?”

“You ever hear of werewolves?”

“Like the guy from Twilight?”

He visibly flinches. “Ugh. Kind of. I’m a bear shifter. I transform into a bear. Everyone in my family has the ability. It’s passed down generation to generation. In fact, most of the locals in town are shifters of one kind or another.”

I gaze at him for a long time, digesting this nugget.

“Well?” he asks, releasing my wrists. “What are you thinking?”

I smack his shoulder with a fist. “I think this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, Cole Braxton! Seriously! If you want to nail and bail, just freaking say so! Honestly, the nerve of you thinking I’d believe a stupid story like this—” He sighs heavily and rolls off me. I immediately feel…lonely…the moment his body parts from mine. He gets to his feet and kicks his pants off his ankles, then rips off his shirt.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to show you,” he says. “Come on.”

I watch in surprise as he storms out of the tent, buck naked. Where on earth is he going? That damn bear is still out there. I tug my shirt down over my loose breasts and try to stretch it over my ass since I no longer have panties.

That’s a losing proposition, though, and I roll out of the tent a moment later with a pillow held in front of my girl bits. “Cole! Come back!”

He’s walking a few feet away, his gorgeous bubble butt flexing in the darkness. Then he pauses, glances over his shoulder at me, and crouches.

What is that crazy fool doing? I’m about to ask this aloud when I hear the bear snarl again… …And it’s coming from him. As I watch, his skin ripples and I hear the crack of bones. Oh my God. I squeak and immediately press my face against the pillow because I can’t watch this. Hell, I can’t even watch Grey’s Anatomy without flinching. All I know is something is happening to Cole’s body.

I hear several disturbing bone cracks and the rustle of grass, and I peek over the pillow a moment later to see Cole’s hand change into a big, furry paw.

Then, I slowly lower the pillow, utterly shocked by what I see.

It’s a bear. An enormous grizzly bear. Fear shoots through me, but then it sits on its hind legs and flops onto its back, waving a paw in greeting.

That’s Cole.

He wasn’t lying. My eyes feel as big as saucers.

He rolls in the grass, and then lumbers to his feet and approaches me. I clutch the pillow and take a step backward, until I run into the side of the tent. I shouldn’t be scared. It’s just Cole. Who’s a bear.

Totally normal.

He noses me and then licks my arm.

“Can you change back now?” I ask in a small voice. I really don’t know what to make of this.

Most of the locals in town are shifters of one kind or another.

No wonder I’ve always felt like such an outsider. I’m completely, totally human. There’s no way I can do anything like that. I watch as Cole’s shoulders hunch and he starts to change back, and I cover my eyes once more. I don’t want to see that.

A few minutes later, big hands grab the pillow and toss it back into the tent, and Cole grins down at me, his hair slightly tousled and sweaty.

“You’re a bear,” I breathe.

“I am.”

“Not a furry.”

“Nope.”

I digest this for a moment as he gets back inside the tent and then tugs on my hand, indicating I should join him. I follow, and he lies back down on the now-flat air mattress and relaxes. I sit next to him, still stunned. He pulls me against him and begins to nibble on my shoulder.

“How…” “Like I said, it’s in the bloodline. It’s just something that my family’s always done.” He brushes my hair aside to reveal my neck, and lightly sucks on a patch of skin. “Damn, you smell nice.”

“Is this why you never hit on me? No matter how many times I flirted with you? Because you’re a bear and I’m not?”

“Humans are off-limits,” he admits, and he doesn’t sound pleased about it.

In the next moment, though, he squeezes me against him. “No one’s taking you from me, though. You’re my mate.”

“I am?” I squeak.

He nods and his hand goes to my belly. “I took you and I might have given you a baby.”

“So?” “So, I want to be the father of your child. If you have one,” he adds. “We don’t have to start a family right away.”

“Gee, thanks,” I say sarcastically. I’m trying to be mad at him, but it’s so difficult when the man I’ve lusted after for three long years is kissing my skin and talking about starting a family together.

“Cole?”

“Hmm?” He nuzzles the curve of my breast.

Shivers move through my body, and I feel my pulse picking up at his touch.

“Are you going to be in trouble for sleeping with me?”

“I don’t care. As long as we keep the secret, I’ll manage things. I’ll talk to Eli.” Eli is the owner of the vacation lodge. I frown at this bit of information, and then gasp when Cole licks my nipple. “Wait, you’re distracting me. Why do you need to talk to Eli? What’s the secret?”

“Bears,” he says, and licks my nipple again. “That’s the secret. And Eli’s the one in charge.”

“One in charge?” I echo. Man, it’s getting hard to think with all of the touching going on.

“Yup.” He buries his nose between my breasts and pulls me tighter against him.

“Everyone in town?” I ask in a faint voice. “Shifters?”

“Pretty much.”

“Except me?”

“You and a few others.”

“Leo?” He hesitates a moment. “Shifter. You won’t say anything, will you?”

“Who would I tell? You think anyone would believe me if I called the local news and said ‘Hey, guess what, my boyfriend can turn into a bear’?”

He grins, his teeth gleaming white in the darkness. “So I’m your boyfriend?”

I feel a little flustered at that. What else would I call the man nose-deep in my cleavage? “Yes?” He growls again, and the sound is pleased. “Good.”

“My assistant Jenna? The Millers?” I ask as he moves up to kiss me. “Are they bears?”

“They’re in the clan, yes.” He changes directions and kisses my chin instead, then moves to my neck.

“What about Pat?” “Not Pat.” He snorts. “The man’s an idiot. And let’s not talk about him again.”

No Pat. Okay. “What about—” “I’ll tell you more later, baby. But right now, all I can think about is your scent.”

“M-my scent?”

“Bears have an intense sense of smell…and you smell fucking amazing, Adelaide. Did I ever tell you that?” His hand slides between my legs, and I feel his fingers push into my sore pussy. “I love that this is mine, baby.”

I moan and my arms go around his neck. We’ll talk about things later. Right now, all I can think about is Cole’s mouth on my skin, and his fingers sunk

deep inside me.

I wonder if bears have a lot of stamina.

••• Some time later I learn that yes, bears do indeed have a lot of stamina.

Several rounds of enthusiastic sex later, Cole has me tucked under his arm and we’re drifting off to sleep. There’s a twig poking into my back from under the tarp, but I don’t care. I’m too boneless to care.

My mind won’t stop working, though.

“What about Francine at the coffee shop?”

He chuckles. “Adelaide.”

“Sorry. Right. The whole town.” I snuggle down closer against him. “And they won’t be mad that you told me?”

His arms tighten around me. “Baby, I don’t care if they’re mad or not.

You’re mine and I’m never letting you go.”

For some reason, I love that. I sigh happily and drift off to sleep.

9 Cole “You sure you want to come in?” I cut the engine. I ran and got the truck this morning because no way was I making Adelaide walk all the way back to the road.

“Yes. We’re a couple, right?” She flicks her index finger between us.

Cautiously, I nod yes. “Then we go in together because we’re both involved. Besides, what if Eli goes off on you? I’ll be there to tell him that I forced it out of you.”

I run my eyes over her sexy frame. Even if Eli bought the improbable story that Adelaide forced me to do anything, I wouldn’t let her take an ounce of the blame.

I couldn’t have stayed away from her. I know that now, but I sure as shit could have kept my mouth shut. I didn’t because I wanted Adelaide to mate with me. I wanted her to have our cubs and bring her special scent into my house where I could have her night and day.

“If Eli gets mad, he’ll get mad at me. You aren’t in any danger,” I reassure Adelaide as I help her out of the truck.

“I should hope not. If he gets mouthy, I’ll just tell him that I won’t take clients from the Lodge anymore.” She tips her nose in the air and marches toward the Lodge as if she’s wearing a suit instead of tight Daisy Duke shorts and a half-buttoned plaid top.

Leo is lounging on the Lodge steps as we approach. He doesn’t have any qualms about eyeing up Adelaide as if she’s a fresh honeycomb just spun from fat, hothouse-fed bees. A low growl of dominance and challenge echoes from my chest. His eyes flick up to meet mine and then drop to his shoes to show me I’ve nothing to worry about. But in that brief moment, I catch a glimpse of unholy mischief.

“Have a good time in the woods?”

“Um, yes?” Adelaide says.

“Shut up, asshole,” I answer, and gently prod Adelaide up the stairs. I don’t think now is the time to tell her that while the pine trees might have provided plenty of visual cover, the sounds and smells of our mating wouldn’t have escaped any bear within a five-mile radius.

“Just wanting to make sure you had a good time,” Leo lies cheerfully. He knows we had a good time. He’s just needling me, but I can’t get real angry because after three years of waiting, I finally have Adelaide. And now I was going to make sure I could keep her.

“Better time than you’ve had with anyone but Rosy Palm,” I mutter as I pass him.

“The right hand is a regular and reliable date,” Leo grins. “Plus she knows exactly how I like it.”

“You need to get out more. Maybe go for a walk in the woods. Worked for me,” I offer magnanimously.

“Maybe I do.”

Inside the Lodge’s cool lobby, Adelaide raises her perfect eyebrows. “Rosy Palm? Did you just tell Leo that all he does is masturbate?”

I flush a little, like a schoolboy caught passing dirty notes by the teacher.

“Depends on if it makes you mad.”

She laughs. “No. It reminds me of some friends back home. They are always joking with each other.”

“Okay, then, yeah. But it was all in fun.”

“I’m glad, because Leo seems like a nice guy.” Nice guy? I don’t like that. I frown at her and don’t even try to stop the unhappy growl that rumbles in the back of my throat.

Adelaide pats me on the arm. “Don’t worry, big guy. I’m only hot after you.

Leo came and told me not to give up on you when you were being a poopy head the other day.”

Well, shit. Now I have to be nice to Leo. “That was decent of him,” I admit grudgingly.

“It was, wasn’t it?” She smiles as if it doesn’t bother her at all that she’s asking me to be nice to Leo. I mumble something to myself about how being nice to Leo would ruin my day. She just pats my shoulder, and to tell the truth, as long as she’s handing out these little caresses, I’ll probably do whatever it is she wants.

Her happy demeanor disappears when we reach the Lodge office. At my knock, Eli’s booming voice tells us to come in.

“Don’t worry,” I whisper against her ear. “He doesn’t bite.”

“Eli, I wanted you to meet Adelaide. I told you about her the other day.

Adelaide owns the spa in town. You probably know each other.”

Eli rounds his desk in about three giant strides. “Nice to see you again, Adelaide. We’re getting a lot more couples now that you’ve opened up your business.” He shakes his head at her outstretched hand. “I can’t touch you or this old man here will have my head.”

I give Adelaide an ‘I’m sorry’ look, but Eli’s right. My need to make sure that it’s my scent all over her body, undiluted by any other males, will abate over time, but right now it’s pretty danged high. No need for an unnecessary domination fight.

Eli waves his hand toward a chair, but I’m in a hurry to get home. Adelaide and I both have to open our stores in two hours, which barely gives us enough time to go home, have shower sex, and return to town.

I throw an arm around Adelaide’s shoulders. “Adelaide is my mate now. I told her I’m a bear and that most of Pine Falls are shifters.”

She squeaks at the rough embrace, but doesn’t move away. “I’m not going to tell anyone. I swear it!” She holds up her hand as if making an oath on a non-existent bible.

Eli leans his ass against the front of his desk and crosses his arms. “It took you long enough,” he says to me.

Adelaide coughs into her hand to disguise a laugh. His lips quirk up at her response. He likes her and will have no problem letting her in the clan. My heart swells with satisfaction.

“Adelaide is worth the wait,” I tell them both. She sighs.

Eli turns to her. “We aren't ashamed of our nature, Adelaide. But there are some out there who might not be as accepting as you. Which is why we’re careful about how and when and why we share this information.”

“I understand.” She slips an arm around me, and I’m deeply touched by her show of support. “And I would never do anything that would jeopardize Cole or his family. And you are his family.”

Eli nods. “We are. And we’re your family too. Violet made another batch of those honey cookies.

You should get a few on your way out.”

That’s Eli’s way of telling us that the meeting is over and he wants us to leave.

Any other time I would've stopped and gotten a couple dozen of Violet’s cookies to shove in my mouth, but I am far more interested in getting Adelaide home. There isn’t anything in the kitchen, and nothing Violet could cook up, that would taste better than Adelaide.

“I’ll open the store for you,” Leo calls out as I drag Adelaide out of the Lodge and into the truck.

She looks at me with regret. “I should probably go and supervise the opening of my store. There’s someone there, but I still should be there…”

I press a kiss to her forehead. “No worries. We have the rest of our life together.”

And I mean it.

AUTHOR’S NOTE Dear Readers, I’m a big fan of Alexa Riley’s smutty novels and she loves shifters. Me too!

We agreed that we would write a few shifter novellas for each other.

This January, please enjoy the four Bear Bites novellas. After January, I'll be returning to the big blue aliens we all know and love. Stay tuned!

Lastly, if you enjoy the books, please, please leave a review. Tell me what you think and who you’re hoping to see in future books. Tell me if you want more books and what kind! I want to know your thoughts and leaving reviews helps me as an author in so many ways.

— Roo

DOES A BEAR SHIFT IN THE WOODS

I’m a loner for a reason. I don’t have much in the way of social skills. I’d rather sit on my deck and watch the sunset than hit a tavern with coworkers.

My idea of grooming is to trim my beard with a straight blade when it hits my collarbone. I can’t put two words together in the company of a pretty woman…and they don’t come much prettier than wolf-shifter Madison Thorne.

She’s everything I’m not—outgoing, easy on the eyes, and sweet. There’s no way I’m convincing her to come home with me. Fortunately I don’t have to. Maddie seems to like my gruff, unpolished self. At least, she likes me enough for one night.

The problem is getting her to stay forever.

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GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER I’ve been looking for a mate in all the wrong places. When the right one shows up in Pine Falls with a man in tow, I almost miss her. Caroline Abbott is a sweetheart of a city girl who is making one last stab at keeping her (dead) relationship together. When her fool of an ex takes off and leaves her alone in the forest, I’m more than happy to step into his abandoned shoes.

While I can make her shout with pleasure, I worry those screams will turn to fear when she realizes that my hidden half is a bear.

I can’t keep the secret much longer, but telling her might scare her off for good.

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SHIFT OUT OF LUCK There are few things that are off limits to the were-bears of Pine Falls, but humans are one of them.

Which is a real pain, because I’ve had it bad for curvy Adelaide Laurent ever since she sashayed into town. The fact that she’s forbidden fruit just makes my fantasies all the sweeter.

But when she signs up to go on a weekend camping trip with the town’s biggest player, it’s time for a bear to step in and claim his mate.

I don’t care if it breaks the rules. She’s mine, and it’s time she knew it.

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SHIFT JUST GOT REAL Life’s given me the short end of the stick on looks – I’m big, ugly and brutish. Normally I wouldn’t care about the packaging except for the fact that the woman of my dreams is Ryann Brown, a human half my age and so lovely she makes my body ache. What’s a were-bear to do in this situation?

Whatever he can to forget her, of course.

Except Ryann’s not taking no for an answer. And when she catches me watching her one night, she gives me a show I’ll never forget. Did I think I’d be able to walk away and not touch her? Not claim what’s mine?

Not a chance.

BUY NOW • FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED ICE PLANET BARBARIANS (Georgie’s Story) Book 1 – now available on KINDLE UNLIMITED! Click here to borrow.

You'd think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to me. And you'd be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble, and they've left their cargo of human women - including me - on an ice planet.

And the only native inhabitant I've met? He's big, horned, blue, and really, really has a thing for me...

VEKTAL My mate, the resonance of my khui, my new reason for existing, has just planted her tiny, strange foot in my chest and kicked. It’s almost as if she does not want to mate.

Her strange, dead eyes are wide with fear, no comforting glow in them. I want to tell her that she’ll be fine. That she’s mine now and I’ll take care of her. That we’ll take down one of the monstrous sa-kohtsk and pull a new khui from its depths so she will no longer suffer.

But I’m puzzled as to why she would hurt herself. I rub my chest where her tiny foot landed.

Without her leathers, her body seems even smaller, and she’s soft and ridgeless. She seems to have forgotten this, too, as she gives me an indignant look, then howls with pain and clings to her foot.

I don’t understand her. Maybe her lack of khui is affecting her senses. “I will not harm you,” I say to her slowly, because she looks terrified. “You are my mate, now.”

“Tht hrt dmmt!”

“Let me see your foot,” I demand. If she has no khui, she probably does not heal as she should, either. When she continues to give me a frightened look, I reach forward and place my hand on her ankle.

She bellows something and thrashes at me again. Her hand curls into a fist, and she smacks it into my face, knocking my lip against my teeth. A flash of pain shoots through my mouth, and I snarl.

She immediately goes quiet, flinching backward, her hands raised to shield herself.

I am sickened at her reaction.

This woman, this small creature who has half the stature of a sa-khui is my mate. How can she possibly think I would harm her? But she is cringing back even now, as if expecting a blow to fall.

Rage fills me, because this is not a normal response.

Someone has hurt my mate in the past.

I reach forward and turn her pale face toward me. She fights, but her eyes close again, and she begins to tremble. I gaze at her small, flat features. Her skin tone is regular, except for mottled bruising along one side. There is the evidence I

suspected.

“Who did this to you?” I ask.

BARBARIAN ALIEN (Liz’s Story) Book 2 – Now Available in KINDLE UNLIMITED! Click here to borrow.

Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet. I’m one of them.

Yay, me.

In order to survive, we have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire our bodies to live in this brutal place. I like to call it a cootie. And my cootie’s a jerk, because it also thinks I’m the mate to the biggest, surliest alien of the group.

RAAHOSH My khui is an idiot.

It must be. Why else would it ignore the women of my clan and the moment we enter the den of the dirty, ragged humans, it begins to bleat in my chest like a quill beast? Or that it chose the frailest of the sick humans to select as my mate?

A mate that glares at me with knowing, angry eyes and refuses to eat the medicinal broth that I bring her? That pushes aside my hands when I try to help her to her feet? Who scowls when I bring her water?

It's clear that my khui is full of foolishness.

"Did you resonate for anyone?" Aehako asks at my side. He stuffs a fur into a traveling bag. We are preparing the humans' cave for travel, since they are too weak to do so. Everything must come with us, Vektal says. It does not matter that it is stained and filthy, or useless. The humans have so little that he is sure they will treasure whatever they have, so it must come. Two of the hunters that resonated for females have been sent off to get furs from the nearest hunter caves, because the humans are poorly equipped to face the harsh snows, and they have no khui to keep them warm.

This will be remedied shortly, however.

A sa-kohtsk is near. The large creatures carry many khui, and we will hunt one for its meat and ensure that the humans will not die of khui-sickness.

I think of the hollow eyes of my new mate and how miserable she looks.

Most of the human hides are a pale color, but my human is paler than most.

That must mean she is sicker. I will insist she be one of the first to get a khui.

Aehako repeats his question. "Raahosh? Did you resonate?"

I don't like to lie, but i also don't want anyone to know, not when my mate is glaring at me as if she is furious.

Raahosh is scarier than most.

Her words cut. She is smooth and pale and weak, and yet I am the one lacking? I shrug and shoulder the pack. "It matters not. We will see what happens when the khui are in the humans."

"I didn't resonate." Aehako looks glum, his broad features downcast. "Do you think more will resonate when they come into season? Perhaps they're not in season." He gives me a hopeful glance.

"Do I look as if I know human seasons?" I snap. "Finish your bag. We need to hurry if we are to get the humans close enough to the sa-kohtsk to hunt it."

Aehako sighs and returns to work. I tell myself he is young. In fact, he might be the youngest hunter in our clan. He will get over his disappointment, or another human will resonate for him later. Or even a sakhui woman, perhaps one not yet born.

All I know is that I am resonating for one of the dying humans, and if she dies, she takes all my hopes and dreams with her.

BARBARIAN LOVER (Kira’s Story) Book 3 – Now Available on Kindle Unlimited! Click here to borrow.

As one of the few humans stranded on the ice planet, I should be happy that I have a new home.

Human women are treasured here, and one alien in particular has made it clear that he wants me.

It's hard to push away the sexy, flirtatious Aehako, when all I want to do is grab him by his horns and insist he take me to his furs.

But I've got a terrible secret - the aliens who abducted me are back, and thanks to the translator in my ear, they can find me. My presence here endangers everyone...but can I give up my new life and the man I want more than anything?

AEHAKO There are tracks in the snow, and I follow them out of the caves and onto the nearby ridge, where Maylak's healing plants grow in abundance. They are wedged into a small valley, buffered from the worst of the winds. Kira is here, grabbing leaves off of a plant angrily, a scowl on her face.

She turns and glares at me as I approach. Am I the recipient of some of her anger? I grin to myself.

Her cheeks are flushed with that unusual pink color that some find ugly in humans. I find it charmingly adorable. She's so many interesting colors pink and brown, and her eyes are the vivid khui blue courtesy of the symbiont. "Hello, my small friend," I call out in greeting.

"Not your friend," she mutters. "And I'm not small."

I chuckle at that. "You should pull a few of the intisar plant there," I tell her.

"It's good for eyesight."

She shoots me another glare.

I don't mind. I prefer her angry expressions to the sadness in her eyes that is so often there.

"I don't need herbs for my eyesight," she tells me.

"No?" I tease and move to her side, then point at another bush. "That one is for potency."

She gives me a shocked look, and the pink returns to her cheeks.

"I do not need it, of course," I tell her. "My cock can stay erect for many hours without flagging. It is mostly for the elders or men that have been ill for a long time and wish to couple with their mates."

The noise she makes is strangled. "I don't want to hear about your...penis."

She shoots me another vicious look. "Maybe you should go and talk to your friend about it more. She seems interested."

"Are you jealous?" I ask, pleased. I've tried to make it clear to Kira that I am interested in courting her, but she's rebuffed me at every turn. Has she changed her mind? I admire her fine brown hair as it blows in the wind and imagine it spilling over my chest.

And then I have to adjust my breeches again.

"Jealous? Ha! Why should I be jealous? I'm ugly, remember?" She taps the shiny metal shell attached to her ear. "I heard every word of your conversation!"

I cannot keep the delighted grin from my face. She did hear me speaking to Asha. And she is jealous. This pleases me greatly.

Perhaps Kira is not so aloof after all. It's time to present her with my courting gift.

RIDING RED by ALEXA RILEY BUY NOW • FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED

Gray Ridge, Colorado is a quiet town, but this Halloween there's a mating moon, and the shifters' need to breed their fated mates runs strong.

Ruby is the proud owner of Red's Goodie Basket, and as the new girl in town, she's looking for business. But when the local sexy sheriff, Dominic Wolfe, keeps the customers away, she finds it's hard to stay mad when burning with desire.

Dominic is a shifter, and his wolf wants Ruby. Since the second he laid eyes on her, he's been fighting the need to mark her as his. But when the mating moon is full, he won't be able to control his wolf any longer.

Tricks and treats are the last things on his mind when the mating heat takes over, and his obsession is put to the test.

Warning: This story is a sexy twist on a classic fairy tale, complete with a red cape, a basket of goodies, and a hungry wolf.

BEAUTY SLEEPS by ALEXA RILEY BUY NOW • FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED Xavier has watched Gwen for years, sneaking outside her window just to watch her sleep. She calls to him in a way he doesn't understand.

After he loses his mom and his sister in a tragic accident, he disappears into the woods and lets his wolf take over.

Gwen has been waiting around for her knight in shining armor to show up, but years have passed since she reached her mating age, and he still hasn't come.

When Xavier makes his way back to Gray Ridge, one scent captivates him like no other...

He's on a mission. Claiming Gwen as his mate is all that matters, even if she doesn't remember him.

What he isn't prepared for is Alpha Stone keeping them apart.

Warning: This fairy tale contains a hero in desperate need of his sleeping beauty, a heroine who wants to mate with her beast, and an alpha trying to keep it from happening. This is meant to be over-the-top, extra sweet, and lots of fun. Come roll around in it.

WANT MORE? For more information about upcoming books in the Ice Planet Barbarians series (or any other books by Ruby Dixon), like me on Facebook or subscribe to my new release newsletter.

Thanks for reading! <3 Ruby Also by Ruby Dixon BEAR BITES Does a Bear Shift in the Woods?

Get Your Shift Together Shift out of Luck Shift Just Got Real ICE PLANET BARBARIANS Ice Planet Barbarians Barbarian Alien Barbarian Lover Barbarian M ine

Ice Planet Holiday BEDLAM BUTCHERS Off Limits Packing Double Double Trouble Double Down Double or Nothing Slow Ride

Document Outline SHIFT OUT OF LUCK Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 AUTHOR’S NOTE DOES A BEAR SHIFT IN THE WOODS GET YOUR SHIFT TOGETHER SHIFT OUT OF LUCK SHIFT JUST GOT REAL ICE PLANET BARBARIANS (Georgie’s Story) BARBARIAN ALIEN (Liz’s Story) BARBARIAN LOVER (Kira’s Story) RIDING RED by ALEXA RILEY BEAUTY SLEEPS by ALEXA RILEY WANT MORE? Also by Ruby Dixon